A vending machine will be installed in the centre of Lisbon, showcasing the original works of 20 young Portuguese artists, including 10 poets and 10 painters, to be sold to the public.
The Machine of Art (MOA) is a project inspired by originality and designed to redefine the interaction between art and the audience. A vending machine will be installed in the centre of Lisbon, showcasing the original works of 20 young Portuguese artists, including 10 poets and 10 painters, to be sold to the public.
The moa vending machine
In total, 400 original pieces by these young Portuguese artists will be sold through the MOA vending machine. The purpose is to challenge the usual reception of art by the public, by changing how and where it is displayed. It will simultaneously showcase the work of a group of young artists and make original art more readily available to the public.
Inside the envelope
Each work of art will be placed inside an unmarked envelope. There are two types of envelopes that the buyer may receive:
The Poesis Envelope: containing an original poem, handwritten and/or signed by the author.
The Pictura Envelope: containing an original painting / drawing, signed by the artist.
Here is the interesting part and what makes the MOA Vending Machine so unique and so vital: The buyer does not choose which type of envelope he/she will receive. The selection is random.
Placing the original piece inside of an unmarked envelope is not unintentional. This is a deliberate and exciting way of allowing the public to experience a piece of art that they did not implicitly choose for themselves. Rather, they allow themselves to experience to different expressions of creativity that they may not necessarily have been familiar with prior to opening the envelope. It is also a way of ensuring The initial anonymity of the envelope eliminates the element of competition between the participating artists and ensures a sense of equality amongst them.
